Rippy Zippy Day

When I was a kid, the first day of the month was always called, RIPPY ZIPPY DAY! Remember paper calendars? The kind we hung on the wall and wrote on? They reminded us of doctor's appointments, birthdays and meetings? For many, those days are over, replaced by phones, i-pads and computers. Myself, I still hold on to the paper calendar but I am technically challenged and it takes way longer to program something, than write it! (Those of you who know me, stop smiling...)
Well - Tomorrow is March 1st - RIPPY ZIPPY DAY! I plan on making the most of the month of March. I plan on making some significant changes in my diet and exercise routine and invite anyone who would like to join me - to jump on in! March has 31 days and we all know that it takes 30 days to change a habit - so lets have at it!

1 I have been working on eliminating gluten from my diet as I struggle with gluten intolerance. The issue has been, I need to balance out the rest of my diet. I plan on being completely GLUTEN FREE for the month of March and will really see how much of an impact it will make. You all know that I approach diet as a lifestyle approach and if you cannot live with the dietary change than it is not worth doing it for a certain period of time and going back to bad habits. Those of you struggling with belly issues, aches and pains, difficult weight loss - perhaps gluten is your issue also. If you think it may be - try going gluten free for one month and decide if it is your issue. Remember - you cannot simply take gluten out and replace with "gluten free " junk. Strive to replace with whole foods. Brown rice, quinoa, gluten free oatmeal to name a few.

2. Hand in hand with gluten comes SUGAR! Sugar is addictive! I have blogged on this before. Research has shown that sugar is more addictive than cocaine in lab rats. I know I need to eliminate it as best I can and replace with low sugar fruits like apples, pears, cantaloup and berries! In conjunction with this, I plan on increasing lean protein and healthy fats in my diet to counteract the "sugar detox". Remember! Fake sugars are not an acceptable replacement. They negatively impact your metabolism and for many, increase cravings for sugars and processed carbohydrates.

3. Increase weight resistant exercise! I am a long distance runner and cyclist and tend to slack on resistance. This month I am going to try to change that.

I usually do not blog about myself, but I felt it important to share my goals with you as a form of accountability and also to get you all thinking of where you want to be on April's RIPPY ZIPPY DAY!

If you would like more info and tips on eliminating gluten and/or sugar in your diet and also tips on how to increase whole foods in your diet - please contact me at chgallo@comcast.net

Here is to a great March! Noreen Gallo MSRD

Do Carbohydrates control you?

Do certain foods have a vice grip on your cravings? Do you wake up in the morning with all the best intentions to eat healthy and avoid carbohydrate rich foods, only to have your hand in the bag of pretzels or goldfish by the end of the afternoon. Does this often lead to a night of "overdoing" it with sweets, crackers and ice cream? Do you wake up the next morning feeling hung over, cranky and in a complete brain fog? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be experiencing CARBOHYDRATE INTOLERANCE. or Insulin Resistance.

What is Carbohydrate Intolerance?

In a nutshell, it is when the body loses its ability to break down sugars and starches in a proper way and thus leading to major blood sugar swings. Often this is the result of a diet high in excess processed foods, sugars and starches and not enough healthy proteins, fats and complex carbohydrates. When you eat a simple carbohydrate alone, this leads to a quick spike in your blood sugar (BS) followed by a dramatic drop in BS leaving you hungry and craving more carbs. Blood sugar that is spiking and dipping all day leads to increased fat storage and intense cravings for more of the same types of foods. Up and down, down and up = FAT STOREAGE!

For fat loss you need to decrease your consumption of white carbs such as foods containing sugars and white flour. Primarily all processed foods! Try to follow the 5 ingredient rule! Avoid as much as you can, foods with more than 5 ingredients on the label, especially if you cannot pronounce the ingredient!

Link the healthy carbs that you do eat (fruits, whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes etc.) with a lean protein and/or healthy fat. For example, a handful of almonds will blunt the impact of an apples natural sugar on your blood sugar. Research has indicated starting your day with a healthy fat may increase your metabolism!

Make sure to spread your lean protein intake across the span of the day to help level out blood sugar. Eggs in the morning, tuna on your salad at lunch, snacks of nuts and seeds, low fat or nonfat greek yogurt and a balanced dinner with lean protein and lots of veggies are all great ideas.

Last but not least LIMIT YOUR SUGAR INTAKE!! As hard as it may be for someone addicted to the white stuff, it will get easier. After about 2 weeks, you will notice a decrease in cravings for sugar and an increase in energy!

YOU CAN DO IT!

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

I hate to diet.
Diets never work for me.
I can lose weight but never see to keep the weight off
Eating healthy is too expensive and takes too much time
Been there, done that...

Sound familiar? Sound negative? Healthy eating does not have to be a negative experience, it can actually be quite the opposite. It all depends on your attitude. If we go into something thinking it is not going to work, guess what? It won't work. Changing our attitude about food and diets can be the first step towards success.

Step 1

Stop thinking of it as a diet, start thinking of it as a way of life.

Step 2

Do not try to make changes that you cannot live with FOREVER! If you like your glass of wine or the occasional desert. Don't eliminate these items from your food plan. Am I telling you that you can eat desert whenever you want? NO. But I am trying to help you get away from the all or nothing mentality.

Step 3

Educate yourself. Learn as much about nutrition and health as you can from a reputable source. Try not to get sucked into the diet of the week! I tell my clients to put on blinders when they are at the grocery store and not look at all the magazine ads about quick weight loss.

Step 4

Become educated about your family health history. Diabetes? Heart Disease? Cancer, Obesity? Knowledge is powerful and motivating. History tends to repeat itself. Healthy changes that you make now, can pay off in the long run for you and your family.

Step 5

Take a moment and jot down what and who you are doing this for. What is motivating you? Losing weight for a class reunion or special event is motivating to some degree but taking charge of your health and diet so you physically feel better, have more energy and set a good example for your kids is even more motivating! Take the focus off the scale and try to concentrate on your physical well being. I guarantee, if you do this, the scale will follow. FYI - 1 pound a week for a year equals 52 pounds!
Step 6

Write down your goals and share them with someone! Seeing them on a piece of paper and having the accountability to someone else is powerful and may be just the boost that you need.

Step 7

Develop habits that you can live with for the long haul. Have this be the last time you do this. Make permanent changes that you can stick with for the rest of your life.

"MOTIVATION IS WHAT GET YOU STARTED, HABITS ARE WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING" Jim Ryun

Feel free to contact me if you would like some help setting your goals

Noreen Gallo MSRD
603 598-0292
chgallo@comcast.net

HELLO HOLIDAYS!

Holidays are a time for enjoying family and friends. A time to relax, slow down and appreciate the ones we love the most. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the "EATING SEASON" which can make living the healthy clean life tough. What to do? White knuckle it and feel deprived? Throw in the towel and overdo it, only to feel sluggish and disappointed on January 1? There has to be an easier way. Guess what - there is!
Here are a few tips to keep in mind before Turkey day is here!

DO NOT SKIP MEALS

I know on paper it makes sense to save your calories so you will have more to enjoy at the celebration but this is exactly what you should not do. Going long periods of time between meals only decreases your blood sugar making it much more difficult to show restraint when the pie arrives. In addition, low blood sugar can make you grouchy and tired - not good when the family is all together.

ALLOW YOURSELF SMALL AMOUNTS OF THE FOOD YOU LOVE

After the first few bites, it all tastes the same. Take a small portion, eat off of a small plate and put your fork down after the first bite or two and see if you really need more.

CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT AND WALK AWAY FROM THE TABLE

This pertains to buffets and cocktail parties. Standing next to the food table can be the kiss of death. Once you start chatting with friends, you are not paying attention to what you are putting in your mouth. Calories galore!

DRINK LOTS OF WATER

Hunger is one of the first signs of dehydration. Before you decide to eat, have a big glass of water or seltzer. This will serve two purposes. Rehydration and keeping your stomach full. Try alternating a bottle of water for every higher calorie drink you consume. It will slow your drinking calories down.

Last but not least remember the word is holiDAY not holiWEEK! Give yourself permission to enjoy the day but try not to have the eating roll over to the next day or days. Give the leftovers away or freeze them for a later time.

ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS - Noreen

Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit

We may get a chuckle when we think of the silly children's song involving beans but the nutritional benefits of beans are nothing to laugh at. Beans, or legumes, as they are also referred to are nutritional powerhouses. Beans are high in protein, fiber, antioxidants, iron, magnesium, copper and zinc. Research has indicated that consuming beans 4 times per week can reduce the incidence of heart disease by 22% over people who had beans only once per week. Beans are also a great protein source for diabetics. Since beans are digested slowly, they have less of an impact on blood sugar and can minimize the spike after a meal. Beans have also been linked with a decreased incidence of certain cancers and help to keep us full, thus aiding in weight control. Ok, it is great to understand some of the health benefits of beans, but how do we prepare them and what are some ways to incorporate them into the diet? You can purchase dry or canned beans. Nutritionally, there is not much of a difference between the two apart from the sodium content. Canned beans tend to be higher in sodium but this can easily be "fixed" by simply placing the canned beans in a colander and rinsing under cool water for a few minutes. This essentially "washes" the sodium off the beans. There are many ways to incorporate beans into the diet: Toss on salads, throw into soups or stews, mash and use as a thickener for recipes, add to casseroles and roll into burritos to name a few. Don't forget about Hummus. This is just mashed up chick peas with added spices. Hummus can be used as a dip and also in place of condiments on sandwiches and burgers. I have a few clients who use hummus in place of mayo in their tuna salad! Use your imagination! Try to incorporate beans into you diet several times this week! Your body will thank you! Here is a great BEAN SALAD recipe I adapted a few years ago - Toss 1 can chick peas, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can black beans and 1 can corn in a colander and rinse under cool water for a few minutes. Place in a large salad bowl. Crush several cloves of garlic in to the mix and add 1-2 tbl of fresh lemon juice. Add about 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/2 cup red wine vinegar to the mix. Toss and add fresh snipped parsley to the salad. I tend to go heavy on the parsley and vinegar and light on the olive oil, you may want to experiment with how your family likes it. I usually try to make the salad a day ahead of time as the flavors meld nicely over time. Enjoy!

To Snack or not to Snack? That is the question...

Many people ask me if it is better to stick to 3 meals a day, or incorporate snacks into their daily routine. Snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon won't make you gain weight (depending on what you choose). They DO help keep your blood sugar levels moderate so you don't experience that 'tired afternoon crash' or binge eat at meals due to hunger. Low-fat dairy, unsalted nuts, whole fruit, hummus and whole wheat crackers or carrots make portable snacks. Aim to combine lean proteins with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats to keep your belly full and brain in high gear!

Are You Addicted to Sugar??

Really? How can someone be addicted to a food? That is impossible... Really? Is it? Right now I am conducting a 30 day Sugar Challenge with the LEAN TEAM! We have signed on to try to avoid sugar in all its forms for the month of October. I have done this before with clients and am here to say - YES, one can be addicted to sugar. Research has indicated that sugar can be more addicting than cocaine or heroin. It is a hidden addiction as it is acceptable. No one is going to put you in jail for eating a chocolate bar or having a handful of jelly beans, but that does not minimize the detrimental effects sugar can have on your body. Excess dietary sugar has been linked with many medical conditions from the obvious Obesity and Diabetes to Heart Disease and Cancer. Over the next few weeks I will be blogging on sugar - how to identify it in foods, substitute for it in recipes and also how to eliminate it if you are truly addicted. Stay tuned for more. If you feel like you may have an issue with sugar or have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, diabetes or insulin resistance, feel free to contact me and we can discuss how to deal with these conditions. Watch out for the candy corn.... Noreen Gallo MSRD

WHY DIET IS A 4 LETTER WORD

If you take the T off of diet what does it spell? DIE! Negative! Anyone who has worked with me knows that I will not give them a diet. I don't have a sheet to hand out that tells you what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I won't slap your hand if you have a bowl of ice cream and I won't necessarily pat you on the bat if you eat salad. I have had clients lose 20, 30, 40 plus pounds having a few dove chocolates every day and I have also helped clients completely give up sugar and white flour when that is what they have chosen to do. Re- read that - I said that is what THEY have chosen to do - not me for them. The point here is that I truly believe that diets are not one size fits all. What works for you, may not work for me and the diet in the magazine at the checkout at Walmart may work for Kim Kardashian, but not for a regular girl like me from Windham NH. You need to find what clicks - the term I use with my clients is to get them into their GROOVE. A way of eating that you can follow about 80-85% of the time and not feel deprived. A diet that helps your body slowly gravitate toward a healthy weight that it feels comfortable and can stay at. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be blogging about small changes that you may be willing to make that will direct you towards a healthier way of living! TO your health - Noreen Gallo MSRD

Join Private Facebook Group on Clean Eating!

I will be starting a new private Facebook group for people interested in getting a little more support in their quest towards clean eating. My hope is to get a group of followers that will support each other with ideas, tried and true recipes and general tips on how to clean up our diets and take them to the next level. If you are interested in joining, friend me on Facebook and we will get started. Noreen Gallo MSRD

Sugar - How Sweet it is????

Easter had come and gone but are the jelly beans chocolate eggs and malted milk balls still hanging on? To our bodies that is? We love sugar! There is no getting around it. Research shows that on average Americans consume about 142 pounds of sugar a year, translating into about 700 calories per day from added sugars. Combine sugar with fat and together they add up to about 35% of the calories in the American diet. People ask me every day why it is so hard to cut back on sugar? My answer is - because for many of us, sugar is addictive. There has been research done in rats that indicates that sugar may be as addictive as cocaine. Yet we continue to eat and drink it every day even though it has been linked with diabetes, obesity, cavities, heart disease, cancer and the list goes on. What can we do? Obviously going cold turkey and cutting all added sugars out of the diet is the solution. BUT - can we do that? My answer is probably not and if we can, how long can it be sustained. My approach is to work with people to first, become aware of where sugar is in our diet and cutting back and substituting as much as possible ( and I don't mean with fake sugars here, they will be the topic of another post!) You can start with cutting back on sugary drinks - this accounts for about 43% of all consumption of added sugars. Sodas, sports drink, specialty coffees and fruit drinks to name a few. Second - READ LABELS! Become familiar with ingredients that are the same as sugar. News flash, honey, brown sugar, raw sugar all are metabolized just like sugar in our body. A good rule of thumb when reading a label is that for every 4 grams of sugar on the label this equals 1 teaspoon of added sugar. Take a hard look at your kid's sports drink and see how much sugar it contains! Third - become aware of hidden sugars - catsup, bbq sauce, crackers, breads etc.. may all be sources of hidden sugars in your diet. The longer you can go with cutting back on sugar - the easier it will become. I am not saying this will be a piece of cake (oops, sorry, no pun intended!) But you can do it! Your body will thank-you! To your health - Noreen Gallo MSRD

Sports Nutrition - It makes a difference!!

Although the white stuff is flying outside right now, Spring is just around the corner. This is a time when many of us get the itch to be outside and moving! A time to re-focus on fitness and getting in shape. Finding the right combination of strength and cardio workouts is very important, but unless we make smart choices in the food department, it will be difficult to see the results we want! Without a doubt, what you eat and when you eat affects your athletic performance. A proper combination of carbohydrates, protein and fats can have a tremendous impact on how you feel during your workout. Next thursday I will be presenting a seminar focusing on sports nutrition at the Windham Pilates Studio. I will be covering such topics as pre and post workout meals and snacks, how to lose weight and maintain energy while keeping up with your exercise programs, fluid replacement and much more. Contact, the studio to sign up and feel free to contact me with any specific question you may have. I have seen many clients make huge strides in their athletic performance with some simple, basic changes in their food plan!!

Enjoy the snow - Noreen Gallo MSRD

Portion Distortion

Over the past ten years the prevalence of obesity in adults has increased from 1 in 4 people to 1 in 2! Lack of exercise is a big part of the reason but running close behind is the Megameal Mentality that many restaurants and food companies have adopted. Remember back in the day what size a bagel or muffin was? About the size of the palm of our hand. A quick stop at the local coffee shop will quickly show you that is not the case anymore. A plain bagel with nothing on it can have more than 350 calories and a muffin can be even more if you take into consideration all the added fat. Super-sizing at restaurants is common and often they entice us with lower prices. What can we do?
1. Become familiar with accurate portion sizes
2. Read food labels to see how many servings are in the package. Often with drinks and individual wrapped items, there are 2 1/2 servings in the pack or bottle.
3. Eat off a smaller plate - visually this will make you feel as though you are eating more.
4. Measure out commonly eaten foods until you are comfortable with eyeballing what an accurate portion size is.
5. Split a meal or dessert with a friend - this way you get to enjoy the food without over doing it!!

Remember - Eating 500 less calories a day can lead to 1 pound lost over the span of a week. This can be relatively painless once you become familiar with portion sizes and really become accountable for what you are eating!
I have several great handouts that can help you with portion control. Shoot me an e-mail or call me and I can help you with this info!
Happy Valentines Day!! Remember, a little chocolate is ok, but check the portions!

Noreen Gallo MSRD

Rev up your metabolism - tip #2

EAT ENOUGH!!!

You may chuckle and think I don't know what I am talking about on this one. Why would I encourage you to eat more when you are trying to lose weight?? Well, research has indicated that people who eat too few calories are far more likely to be overweight. How can this be? When you eat less than what your body needs to function (for most women this is less than1200 calories) your metabolism will slow down, thus, burn less calories. In addition, it will also start to break down lean body mass, calorie burning muscle, which also slows metabolism. So you need to EAT to LOSE WEIGHT!! 3 balanced meals with 1-2 snacks spaced in between should be sufficient. Remember - it is important to make sure your calories are coming from the right sources! Contact me if you need some help in balancing your calories. The clients I have worked with who tweak their calories the correct way have seen tremendous results!!

Stay Healthy! Noreen Gallo MSRD

How to Super Charge your Metabolism

Your metabolism is your internal engine. It is how fast you burn calories. In other words, your metabolism is your furnace! Over the next few days I will be blogging on different ways to get your engine running on HIGH!

Rule Number One - EAT BREAKFAST!!

Skipping breakfast is a sure fire way to slow your metabolism. You need to put some calories in first thing in the morning to rev up your metabolism and keep your energy level on high for the day! Research shows that people who skip breakfast are 4 1/2 times more likely to be obese!! Grab a greek yogurt with some almonds, pour a bowl of high fiber, high protein cereal and milk or spread some peanut butter on a whole wheat english muffin. Mom knew what she was talking about when she told you to eat your breakfast!

Contact me at the studio if you want to have your metabolic rate measured. This will tell us how many calories you need to eat to lose weight!

Stay warm - Noreen Gallo MSRD

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Approximately 90% of people make New Years Resolutions every year. Guess what tops the list for most of us? Lose Weight and Get Healthy!!! Unfortunately for many, by SuperBowl Sunday, the resolution is a thing of the past. One reason for this is that we put the focus on diet - deprivation, elimination and starvation, rather than really taking the time to focus on some lifestyle changes that we can stick with for the long haul. I a diet plan promises that you will lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks with no exercise - beware! If a diet requires that you cut out a complete food group or has you eat the same thing every day - beware! If a diet has you eating foods that you do not like - Beware. You cannot live this way forever and whatever weight you lose, will come right back! Take a few minutes today to jot down 4-5 reasons why you want to lose weight and put them somewhere you can see them. This constant reminder of your reasons will help you in reaching your goals! Also jot down 2 behaviors that you would like to change, that you know will help you lose weight. For example, for me, my schedule is crazy and I often find myself eating while standing up and doing something else. I know I am not as aware of what I am eating when I do this and consequently, am probably eating more than I think. One of my behaviors I am working on is to always sit down when I am eating. I can already see that it will be tough, but I know it will become a habit with practice. Remember, it can take about a month to make something a habit. Make this month a month you will change even one behavior and you will be on the road to success with your resolution! Keep up the good work and as always - contact me with any questions or comments! Noreen Gallo MSRD

HOLIDAY WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE

On average, we can gain anywhere from 5-10 pounds over the holidays! At Windham Pilates, we are going to buck the average and NOT gain weight over the holidays! To top it off, we are going to hit the new year hard and after maintaining thru November and December, we are going to LOSE weight from New Years until Valentine's Day! Come into the studio this week and sign up for the HOLIDAY WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE. Remember - Valentine's Day is going to come wether you join or not. Wouldn't you rather be several pounds lighter than 10 pounds heavier when it comes?? Cash prizes!!! Are you in?? Noreen Gallo MSRD

The holidays are here!

TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING AT THE HOLIDAY TABLE

Thanksgiving is a great time of the year. The start of the holiday season, time to spend with family and friends and enjoy family traditions. Many of these traditions are centered around food and when you are trying to follow a healthy food plan – this can create stress. There are several steps you can take to help alleviate this stress and continue with your healthful plan.
Take the 80/20 approach. If you can stick to your healthy habits 80% of the time that will leave you with a 20% wiggle room buffer.
Make sure to have a high protein snack before leaving the house or pack one if you have a long drive. Examples are cheese stick and fruit, almonds, greek yogurt or peanut butter and whole grain crackers. This helps to avoid getting too hungry and making bad choices.
Alternate a bottle of water with every alcoholic drink you consume. This has a two-fold effect. Fills your stomach so you may eat less and cuts in half the amount of alcohol you will consume. (Saving calories)
Before you pile your plate, scan the table and choose only the foods that you truly enjoy. Don’t waste calories on something that you don’t really want.
It is ok to not eat everything on your plate – we have outgrown the clean you plate club! If this is difficult, use a smaller plate. This creates the illusion of eating more.
Don’t hang out next to the food table. It is too easy to nibble and graze while we chat with family and friends.
Be aware of what you are eating. Enjoy it and move on. Mindless eating is dangerous as we lose track of what we are consuming.
I will be going into this topic in depth over the next few weeks. Check in often for tips and motivation. Lastly – join us in our Holiday Weight Loss Challenge. Hold your weight over the holidays and then hit the New Year hard with the weight loss portion of the challenge! Prizes, consult with me (registered dietitian) and much more! Happy Holidays - Noreen Gallo ,R.D.

Whittle your Middle during Menopause!

Remember when you could eat pretty much anything you wanted and remain at the same weight? Remember when you could just go for a walk or 2 a week and notice your jeans getting looser? Remember?? For many of us, those days are gone. What is going on? This is a question I get from clients many times a week. Seems like we have to work twice as hard just to maintain our weight, let alone lose a few pounds. Guess what? There is a physiological reason for this and luckily there are some concrete solutions as to how to deal with this issue. It is related to peri menopause and menopause. 90% of women experience increased weight between the ages of 35-55 years old. It is a gradual weight gain, that tends to sneak up on us and suddenly we have 10-20 extra pounds to lose. These pounds are more difficult to lose due to several factors.
HORMONES,STRESS, INSULIN RESISTANCE
I cannot help much with the first 2 factors but there are things we can do in relation with diet to combat insulin resistance. Insulin Resistance can be a huge contributor to weight gain and occurs when our bodies convert most of the calories we eat to FAT due to fluctuations in blood sugar.
What can we do about this?
1. GET RID OF THE DIET MENTALITY - this is a lifestyle change. You need to focus on changes that you can live with over the long haul. Gone are the days of having a shake for breakfast and lunch and a frozen diet dinner at night. If you cannot live with your dietary changes and go back to old habit - the weight will come right back. Additionally, scientific research has proven that quick weight loss from a very low calorie diet can slow down our metabolism. We want to keep the metabolism burning calories constantly all day.
2. Eat several small meals a day. This helps to level out your blood sugar. WIld swings in blood sugar increase appetite and cravings for refined carbohydrates. Going long periods of time without eating slows metabolism and consequently the next meal eaten - your body will hold on to every calorie. Shoot for a meal or snack every 3-4 hours.
3. Increase your protein intake. Protein comes from meat, fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, legumes, nut butters etc... The body has to work harder to break down protein than carbohydrates and thus burns more calories eating protein. This is referred to as the Thermic Effect of Food. Protein also keeps us full longer than carbs. Always combine a protein and a carb when you eat. For ex. Have a handful of almonds or a cheese stick with your fruit or put peanut butter on your toast instead of jelly or butter. You will notice a difference in your fullness level almost immediately.
4. Cut down on the WHITE STUFF - sugar and white flour based foods. Much research on menopause has proven that when we take the white out of our diet - weight loss increases!! If you are going to have a sweet or dessert - have it within the context of a meal as oppose to skipping lunch to have an ice cream cone.

I will discuss blood sugar and diet in depth in another newsletter but for now - work on cutting back as much as you can and replacing these foods with protein and healthy fats and complex carbs. It will make a difference.

Please feel free to give me a call or e-mail me with further questions on this topic. I have many clients right now that are successfully losing weight after telling me they never thought they could, following these methods.

To your health!

Noreen Gallo MSRD
Registered Dietitian
Nutrition Counseling
(603)598-0292 tel

Being prepared!!

Being prepared is probably the best advice I can give to someone who is interested in losing weight or trying to live a healthier life. It always seems that the best laid plans always seem to fall to the wayside when life gets busy. It is times like these when being prepared can be a lifesaver. We all know how 3 o'clock feels and we are in the car, need to pick up the kids and bring them to practice and are STARVING! Or just coming out of a meeting at work and suddenly your belly growls just when you are walking by the vending machine. If you knew you had a tasty, healthy snack in your drawer at work or the glove compartment of your car, this might be just the trick that will get you to drive by the fast food place or avoid the candy in the vending machine. I have pulled together a list for your emergency "stash" and I hope you find this helpful.

1) Baggies of nut. Buy a big jar of almonds, peanuts or walnuts and put 15-20 in each baggie. This with a bottle of water will fill you up for a couple of hours. FYI - Pistachios are the lowest fat nut and take longer to eat if you buy them in the shell.
2) Kashi TLC granola bars. Only 140 cals, 6-8 grams of protein and not high in sugar.
3) Toss a piece of fruit in your car every morning - this will fit the bill when you want something crunchy.
4) Keep some packets of oatmeal in your drawer at work. Kashi GO LEAN truly vanilla oatmeal has 9 grams of protein to help keep you full and you just need to add water and microwave.
5 )Keeping a jar of natural peanut butter and a box of whole wheat crackers at work can be a lifesaver for those days when you forget your lunch.
5) Protein bars for when you do have to delay lunch or perhaps forgot to eat a balanced breakfast. Watch the sugar content as some are rather high. Think Thin bars have about 20 grams of protein and taste pretty good.
6) Always have 2-3 bottles of water as back ups, remember one of the symptoms of dehydration is hunger. Many times we think we are hungry but in reality we are thirsty.
I keep a case of flavored seltzer water in my car at all times - saves money when the kids want to stop for a drink after practice and has zero calories!

I am sure if you brainstorm, you can come up with some additional ideas that will fit your needs. But remember - this is your emergency stash. Make packing meals and snacks for the day a habit and only save these items for the days you dash out the door with your lunch on the counter!

The Meltdown to Summer is officially over and the results are in! All participants did a great job and worked really hard for 90 days! Congratulations to ZOEY who lost 8.94 % for a total of 11 pounds and Cookout Mom who lost 5.26% for a total of 8 pounds!

Participants tracked food intake and exercise and made major strides in changing their behaviors!

Remember, slow and steady wins the race. I have been working with a client successfuly for quite a while and he has lost just about 30 pounds. He recently had to take some time off due to a stressful work issue. We have started back up again and happily reported that he had only gained 1/2 pound. He was thrilled! It really opened his eyes to all the progress he has made. He mentioned that in the past, he would have re-gained much of his weight during stressful times and was so happy to have maintained! He is ready to finish his "race" and attain goal in the next few months! IT WORKS!!! Call me if you need some help attaining your GOALS!!

Enjoy your Spring!! Noreen MSRD

Spring Clean your Diet

I think it is safe to say - Spring is coming! I know we had snow last week but as I look out my window, I see some purple and white crocus flowers blooming and I am given hope. Pretty soon the winter jackets will be put away and shorts and t-shirts will be coming out. ARE YOU READY?? Here are some tips to get ready for spring.

Set realistic goals for yourself. Exercising 3 hours a day and never having sugar pass our lips is a great thought but is it achievable? Probably not because if it was - we would have already done it. It is much easier to choose a couple of do-able goals that we can accomplish and build from there. Place the written goal on the fridge where you can see it daily.

Do not get sucked into a quick fix. We will be bombarded with so called quick easy ways to lose weight before summer. They do not work. Again, if they did, you would be at goal. Steady, consistent weight loss is the way to go. My most successful clients are the ones who lost the weight the right way. Making behavioral and dietary changes that they could live with for the long haul. Guess what? These are the clients that are still at or below their goal weight.

Clean up your diet. Take a look in your pantry and cabinets. Get rid of the junk. Look at food labels. If you cannot pronounce the ingredient, it is probably not too good for you. Try to stick to as many whole foods as possible. Reducing white flour and sugar will have a dramatic impact on both your weight and how you feel. Try not to make the mistake of replacing sugar with artificial sugar. This can impact your metabolism and hunger in a negative way. Increase your consumption of fruits and veggies. This will help to keep you full and give your bodies some important antioxidents and vitamins.

Eat frequently. Small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism fired up so you are always in fat burning mode. If you go too long between feedings your body is more likely to convert the food to fat.

Drink water! This helps to keep you full and flush out your system. One of the symptoms of dehydration is hunger. Often we think we are hungry when in reality we are just thirsty.

Increase your exercise! Move more! Play catch with your kids in the back yard, rake, weed - MOVE! Purchase a pedometer and count your steps. I recently did this and am amazed with how competitive I have gotten with myself and the number of steps I get each day. One easy way to increase steps is to toss a pair of sneakers in the back of the car. Walk around the perimeter of the baseball or lacrosse field this spring while your kids team is practicing. Every time you sneak in some exercise - you have just fired up your metabolism which translates into more calories burned.

Most importantly lose the diet mentality. The goal is to find a balance that you can live with. If you follow the plan 80% of the time, this gives you a 20% cushion for the other stuff! Remember - this is a LIVEIT! Not a DIet.

I am always around to answer questions or set up an appointment. Feel free to contact me and we can discuss further!

HAPPY SPRING - Noreen Gallo MSRD